The magnificent Palazzo Serristori in Florence, one of the most important Renaissance buildings in the city, with its 5,500 square metres of interiors and approximately 3,000 square metres of garden, will be completely restored after long years of non-use.
Acquired by the LDC Group of Taiwan, already involved in the redevelopment of Palazzo Portinari Salviati in the city, it will be restored to create prestigious extra luxury apartments, with prices ranging from 2 to7 million euros.
Each of the apartments, embellished with period frescoes, will have common areas such as the garden with swimming pool and the SPA.
The construction of the palace dates back to the beginning of the 16th century when Lorenzo Serristori wanted to build a magnificent residence on the banks of the Arno River surrounding a hunting lodge.
Among the eminent figures that have stayed at Palazzo Serristori are Giuseppe Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother and King of Spain and Naples and Pope Leo X of the Medici, whose sixteenth century coat of arms is preserved in sandstone in the main atrium.
Others include internationally renowned nineteenth century intellectuals and artists, such as Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, the composers Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner, and the Queen of Italy, Elena of Savoy.
Original features of the palace have survived the centuries
This include the magnificent frescoed ballroom, measuring 250 square metres in area and 12.5 metres in height, the largest and most prestigious in Florence, to a foyer covering approximately 150 square metres, which will be used as a common area for all the apartments and whose construction dates back to the 1600s.
There are two splendid Murano chandeliers, dating from the 1700s, still on display in the ballroom, both intact and in working order.
The original wooden floors and authentic works of art also remain, as does the ”Hall of Mirrors” and the palace’s fireplaces, made of precious marble and feature the Serristori coat of arms.
Not forgotten, the glazed terracotta stove, manufactured by Ginori, of which there is only one other example in the world.
